The present invention pertains generally to wagering games, and more particularly to a method of playing a wagering game wherein a player places a wager, receives four cards, and sets the four cards into a two card front hand and a two card back hand.
Pai gow poker is a variation of the Chinese domino game gai gow and is well known in the art. Pai gow poker is usually played with a 53 card deck, including a joker. The game is played between a player(s) and a player-banker, each competing to make the best possible hands. Each player makes a wager and is then dealt seven cards. The cards are then set by the player into a two card front hand and a five card back hand. Both the front and back hands are compared to determine the winner.
Sources well known in the art of Pai Gow Poker include Mason Malmuth, xe2x80x9cThe Gambling Theory and Other Topicsxe2x80x9d (Las Vegas: Mason Malmuth, (copyright) 1990); Bill Zender, xe2x80x9cPai Gow Poker (Las Vegas: Bill Zender, (copyright)1991); Stanford Wong, xe2x80x9cOptimal Strategy for Pai Gow Pokerxe2x80x9d (La Jolla: Pi Yee Press (copyright)1992); George Allen, xe2x80x9cHow to Play Pai Gow Poker (Tempe: George Allen, (copyright)1988); and Mike Caro, xe2x80x9cCaro""s Professional Pai Gow Poker Report and Banker Guidelines (Las Vegas: Mike Caro, (copyright) 1986). The present invention has certain features which are similar to Pai gow poker.
The game of 9""s UP also contains features which are similar to the present invention. In this game, a player is dealt four cards which are set into a two card front hand and a two card back hand. The two hands are arranged as highly as possible with the higher ranking hand being the back hand. Pairs are ranked highest followed by a hand in which the sum of the two cards is closest to nine. To win a wager both the front and back hands of a player must rank higher than the banker.
The present invention is directed to a method of playing a wagering game using a modified deck of conventional playing cards from which all the face cards have been removed. After placing a wager, each player is dealt four cards which are set into a two card front hand and a two card back hand. Players then sequentially compare hands with a player/banker. The ranking of hands is (1) highest pair, and (2) the least significant digit (LSD) of the numerical total of the two cards being closest to nine. To determine who wins the wager, a set of test conditions are sequentially applied. If the first test condition is satisfied, then the wager is decided. If the first test condition is not satisfied, then a second test condition is applied. If the test second condition is satisfied, then the wager is decided. If the second test condition is not satisfied, then a third test condition is applied [for ], etc. The sequence of applying the test condition is important, so certain steps (test conditions) of the present method must be performed in the order indicated. Preferred names for game of the present invention are xe2x80x9cBuu-Buu xe2x80x9d (pair-pair) and Paigow 9.
The method of the present invention includes a variety of ways to win a wager, wherein the determination of a winning hand must be evaluated according to a sequentially applied set of criteria (test conditions). As such, the present invention presents a mental challenge to the players which is not present in other card games.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method of playing a wagering game includes the steps of:
(a) providing a modified deck of playing cards which includes a conventional deck of playing cards from which all face cards have been removed;
(b) defining a ranking of two card hands, wherein pairs are ranked highest followed by hands which sum closest to nine;
(c) providing a plurality of players;
(d) providing a dealer;
(e) selecting a player/banker from the plurality of players, the unselected players being termed other players;
(f) each of other players (other than the player/banker) placing a wager;
(g) the dealer dealing four cards from the modified deck to each of the players;
(h) the player winning the wager if one of the four cards dealt to the player is the ace of spades (Test Condition #1), else proceeding to step (i);
(i) the other player winning the wager if the four cards dealt to the other player are all of the same suit (Test Condition #2), else proceeding to step (j);
(j) the other player winning the wager if the four cards dealt to the other player are in consecutive numerical sequence (Test Condition #3), else proceeding to step (k);
(k) each player setting his/her four cards into a two card front hand and a two card back hand;
(l) the player/banker sequentially comparing both front and back hands with each other player;
(m) the other player winning the wager if the back hand of the other player is identical to the back hand of the player/banker (Test Condition #4), else proceeding to step (n);
(n) the player/banker winning the wager if the front hand of the other player is identical to the front hand of the player/banker (Test Condition #5), else proceeding to step (o);
(o) the player/banker winning the wager if (1) the front hand of both the other player and the player/banker have a least significant digit of a numerical total equaling zero, or if (2) the back hand of both the other player and the player/banker have a least significant digit of a numerical total equaling zero (Test Condition #6), else proceeding to step (p);
(p) the other player winning the wager if the front hand of the other player ranks higher than the front hand of the player/banker and the back hand of the other player ranks higher than the back hand of the player/banker (Test Condition #7), else proceeding to step (q);
(q) the player/banker winning the wager if the front hand of the player/banker ranks higher than the front hand of the other player and the back hand of the player/banker ranks higher than the back hand of the other player (Test Condition #8), else proceeding to step (r);
(r) neither the other player nor the player/banker winning the wager if none of Test Conditions 1-8 above are satisfied;
(s) if in step (g) the other player is dealt four of a kind, the other player winning a jackpot; and,
(t) wherein steps (h) through (r) above must be performed in the alphabetical order indicated.
Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.